Vessel-propelling apparatus.



J. ELNIFF. VESSEL PROPELLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.18, 1907,

Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

- IoEN ELNI'FE, or jKiujsAsfcr-rr, MIssouRI'.

vns'sn -PnoPELLme n'rrlinnrus.

.- Speeificationof Letters Patent.

Patented April is, time Afiplicafion filed December is, 1907. Serial Nt.4 7,077.

To all 'whom it 'rriay concernf Be it known that LJOHNELNIFF, a citizen'of the United States, residing at Kansas. City, 1n the connty of Jaokson and State of Mi'ss0urr,.have Invented certain new and usefulImprovements in vesselProp'elling Appa ratus'; of which the. followingsa specifica-fj non;

' This {invention apparatus, and more especially -to apparatus forropelling avessel by coin ress'ing-air'anddisc arg ng the same throngportsa ainst and into the water sustaining the vesse Afurth'er object isto produce apparatus of the characternamed whereby the vessel may fbepropelled forwardly, rearwardly, laterally to one side or the otlier'ormay be turned qu ckly on a short radius toward either side. A stillfurther obj set is to produce'means enablinga single operator to easilyand reliably control the movement of the vessel.

With these general objects in view and others as'hereinafter'ap ear, theinvention conslsts 1n certain nove and peculiar featuresof constructionand organization as hereinafter described and' claimed; and in jorderthat i'tmay be fully understood refer- 1 ing, in .which* '30 ence is tobe had tethe accompanying draw- Figure equipped with propelling andsteering appa? ratils embodying-my invention. V vertical longitudinalsection taken substantially in the center of the vessel. Fig. 3, is aFig. 2, 1S1].

top view of the vessel with the upper deck broken. away to discloseunderlying, features of construction. Fig; 4, is a vertical transversesection taken .on'the line IVIV of Fig. 3.

low the water level with a lar e numberfof port holes 2, the series ofhe (es-extending substantially from the'front to the rear end of thevessel; which fpreferabiy'isnot provided with arudder.

'3 and-4 indicate nozzles secured externally kto the hull of the vesseland arran ed to dis-- char'ge 're'arwardl-y and forward y respec,tively, the former extendin'gfromthe rear Pr w- T .t L the series ofnozzles 3 and are provided Wlth end of the vessel to about the pointwhere the latter brains to'taper sharply toward the e nozzles 4arearranged forwardof spring' plate extensions or valves 5 which un-'ar'ranged the vess relates to vessel ,the event that one engine isincapacitated the I other may be utilized.

f'rom the 'air'.

I; is aside elevation of a vessel.

Fig. 5, .is an enlarged section taken on the line V-"V of :F ig. 1.-Fig. 6, is an en-. lar ed perspective view of the air holder.

, l n'the said drawin 1 indicates a'boat of any-type, provided ie 'dertheir resiliency and the pressure or resistg 1 I ance of the water asthe vessel moves forward are normally closed to prevent water enteringthe nozzles and the communicating-port's ton stem'fi; proj ecting into apump or air compressor 8 o the usual or any preferred t e,

t being/understood that by reference t'e mechanism described'willbe-Iuplieated and capable of independent operation so-that' .in

9 indicates pipes leadin' pumps 0r compressors San equipped withindependent controlling valves 10.

An engine or its eq1uivalent,not'shown,is; p e for the purpose of op"-crating the piston of the cylinder 6, the pis-.

11 indicates a large compressed-air holder to receive the air frompip'ps 9, said holder being preferably located a ove the plane of thewaterlevel.

12 indicates discharge pipe s. extending from the valve-boxes 12communicating with the upper end of the holder toward the contiguoussides" of the vessel and 13' are longitudinal distributing pipescommunieating with pipes 12 and preferably supported upon a deckl i ofthe vessel or in any other sultable or preferred manner.

15 are discharge pipes leading downward from pipes 13, and equipped withnumerous small branch pipesor ports 16 communicating with the ports 2having the nozzles 3, so that all of the air discharged through pipes 12shall'eventually'escape from nozz es and consequently rearwardly.

1 7 are pes projecting laterally from the holder li e. pipes 12 andcommunicating with the front ends of distributing pipes 18' in the bowof the vessel and by preference supported upon deck 14 of the latter.

:19 are pipes extending downwardly from pipes .18 and provided withnumerous small ranch pipes. or' ports 20 communicating with 'theports 2having the nozzles 4, so that the air passing from the holderthroughpipe.

17 shall, eventually escape in a forward Cl1I'9G- tion. 1

' 21 indicates a gluide-frame secured to the upper end of the older, forthe slide valves 22 and 23, the former being adapted too on or closecommunication between the be (161 and pipes 12, while valves 23 areadapted to close or open communication between the holderand pipes 17.The valves are pro vided with similar upwardly projecting rack emp barstems 24. engaging gear pinions 25 mounted on short shafts 26, suitablyjour-- na'led in frames 27 or equivalent supports. To turn the shaftsfor. the purpose of operating the valves, hand wheels 28 are secured onsald shafts, any suitable pa'wl and ratchet or equivalent mechanism (notshown) being oyed to prevent accidental movement of the valves.

Assuming that the valves 22 and 23 are closed-and that valves 10 areopen, the

discharged from the holder through pipes 17 to distributing pipes 18 andthence esca es in a forward direction from nozzles 4, it eing understoodthat if the pressure is sufficient the advance of the vessel is checkedalmost instantly and a retrograde or backing movement is started. I I Inthe event that a'deflection of the vessel from the-direct courselaterally in either direction is necessary or advisable, the person incontrol closes the two valves 22 and 23 at the sidetoward which it isdesired to move the vessel and thus eflects the discharge of thecompressed air from the nozzles at the opposite side of the vessel only.If it is desired .to deflect the vessel from her direct course toadiagonal course to the right valve 22 is partly closed to lessen thedischarge of air from nozzles 3 at the starboard side of the vessel. Ifit is desired to deflect the vessel to the left the port valve 22 ispartly or whollyclosed.

When the vessel is stationary Water will enter the uncovered nozzles andstand in pipes 15 but will of course be forced out by the air when thelatter is turned into said pi es. The nozzles 4 are closed by the va ves5 to. prevent water entering said nozzles in the ordinarytravel of thevessel and if desired, the nozzles 3 may likewise be equipped withcorres onding valves, though the necessity of suc e uipment is not soimportant, as there wil seldom arise the necessity for-causing thevessel to move rearwardly any material distance:

In practice each pipe 9 will be provided with a check-valve (not shown)to retain the air in the holder, butadapted to open under apreponderating pressure from the pump or v compressor, the holder beingalso equipped 'u with a safety valve (not show' nlto open if thepressure therein is too hi h By the employment of; multiplicity of airvantage enumerated as desirable, and I wish it to be understood that Ido not desire to be restricted to the exact details of constructionshown and described as obvious modifications will occur to one skilledin the art.

Having thus described the invention .what

I claim as newand desire to secure by Let--.

ters-Patent, is

.1. A vessel rovided with a plurality of ports in its ,hulFbelow thelevel of the water on which the vessel floats, plates secured externallyto the vessel near said ports having channels communicating at theiropposite ends with said ports and the water sustaining the vessel,certain of said channels communicating with the water sustaining thevessel, at their front ends and the remainder at their rear ends withrespect to ,the prow and stern of the vessel, and means for forcing airthroughsaid ports and channels.

' 2. A vessel 1provided with a plurality of ports in its hu below thelevel ofthe water on which the vessel floats, plates secured externallyto the vessel near said ports, having channels communicating at theiropposite ends with said ports and the watersustaining the vessel,certain of said channels communicating with the water sustaining thevessel, at their front ends and the remainder'at their rear ends withres ect to the prow and stern of the vessel, a ho der for com ressedair,within the vessel, means for c arging .said holder with com ressed-air,and'independent valve-contro ed means for supplymg compressed-air fromthe holder to the forwardly and rearwardly o enin channels.

3. A vessel provided wit a p urality of ports in its hul below the levelof the water on which the vessel floats, plates secured externally tothe vessel near said ports having channels communicating at theiropposite ends with said ports and the water sustaining the vessel,certain of said channels communicating with the Water sustaining thevessel, at their ifront ends and the remainder at their rear ends withrespect to the prow i and stern of the vessel, a holderfor'compressed-air, within the vessel, means for charging said holderwith compressed-air, distributing pipes within the vessel and above thewater level, pipes extending downward from the distributing pipes,contiguous times I to'the shell of the vessel, and a plurality ofbranell-pipesconnecting the downward-(3X tending pipes withthe saidports.

4.11%. vessel rovided with a plurality of ports in its hul below theleveloi the water on whicl'i the vessel floats, plates securedexternally to the'vessel near said orts, hav ng channels communicatingat their opposite ends with said ports and the water sustain' ing thevessel, certain of said channels communicatin with the water sustainingthe of ports vessel, at their front ends andthe remainder at their rearends with respect to the 'prow and stem of the vessel,spring-valvessecured to the said plates ioi air supplied to said channels throughsaid ports, and means for supplying such COIII- pressedeair to saidports-and'channels;

5. A vessel provided with a large number corresponding nozzles. securedexternally 'to the vessel in coimnunicetion with said ports, certainoi-theinopenin rearwardly end the remainder forwardly a holderair-within the vessel, means for charging said holder with ,compressedair, distributing 'pip'es above the water leveL provided with forcompressed depending-pipes having .b 'anch pipes coinmumcating with the'rearwardly "opening nozzles, distributing pipes havinv branch pipescommunicating with the forwardly H n i w V opening nozzles, pipesconnecting the dis tributin 'i es with the holder inde endz: p 7 iudging andclosing'the discharged ends of said channels andadapted toopen under the pressure of the compressea ong its sides'oelow the waterlevel,

ently-operative valves forcontrolling the passage of air from theholderto said distribut'ing pipesgreck bar stems for said valves,jshafts suitably journaled and rovidedwithipinionsengaging said rack areand'hand wheels ior turning said shafts to cause the valves to close oropen communioperating tne air pumps or compressors, distributingfplpes'a ove the water level propipes communicating with the rearw'ardlyopening nozzles, distributing pipes having branch pipes communicatingwith the for- Wardlyopening nozzles, ipes connecting the pendent-1yoperative valves for controlling tributing pipes.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

witnesses.

in the presence of two I JOHN ELNIFF.

' WVitnesses: l H. C. Ronsnns .G. Y. TnoRPn.

vided with depending pipes-having branch cation between th-eholder andthe pipes contween the same and the holder, means for distributing pipeswith t e holder, and indethe passage of air from the liolder'to saiddis-

